Let's Not Die Today, How's Tomorrow?
by Canister
Summary: A team of robbers attempt to escape from the police after a failed robbery. More details inside. Please read and review WARNING: Contains violence and language. NEW CHAPTER!
1. Author's Note

After attempting to rob an armored truck. A team of robbers ends up in a long and vicious gun battle/car chase with the police as they fight to stay alive.

This story is a collection of events that took place over the course of several games on GTA IV Multiplayer Free Mode. Obviously several parts of the story were added to make it into a story. I do not in any way support the shooting/killing of police officers or other law enforcement officers. I do not own any of the locations named in this story. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.


	2. Chapter 1 We've Got A Job

Chapter 1 "We've got a Job"

Evening June 26th

Nick Bar grunted as he lifted a cardboard box into the back of his Rancher. The box contained over two thousand rounds of ammunition. The man next to him, Nate Ramney, made the same sound as he lifted a second box into the truck.

"Think this will be enough?" Nate asked, tapping one of the boxes.

"600 per man, plus extra," Bar pointed out, scratching his head. "Besides we all have a secondary, pistol, and some have shotguns."

"True, hopefully we won't be needing it." Ramney said as he climbed into the truck. "Although the last one didn't go so well."

"Hey, don't jinx us now," Nick scolded and put his key into the ignition. His first attempt to start the Rancher failed.

"Why the hell don't you get a new truck already?" Ramney asked, shaking his head.

"These things are built to last. They're practically bulletproof."

"Especially in the case of yours," Nate said with a smirk.

"Ya, well, it comes in handy, especially in Liberty City."

After Nick had bought the truck the first thing his did was remove the door paneling and stuff phone books in them. While this did cut down on the already low MPG, it paid off in the fact that it would stop pistol and shotgun rounds.

He started the truck up, revved the engine a few times and finally put it in gear and drove off.

* * *

The black Rancher came to a halt behind a small apartment building. A man was sitting on a step leading into the back entrance, got up when they arrived.

"You guys get the goods?" Austin Belner asked as they got out.

For a response Nick handed him one of the boxes.

"Mike, Grant, and Scott here?" Bar asked as he got the other box out.

"Ya."

They carried the boxes inside and set them down in what was supposed to be a living room. Nick rented the bottom floor apartment. In wasn't much to look at, 2 bedroom, 1 bath, kitchen, living area, but it suited his needs. The other guys lived around the city but spent most of their time at his apartment since they used it as their unofficial base.

The living area was littered with empty pizza boxes, beer cans, and who knows what else. There was an old 24-inch TV, along with a ragged entertainment center consisting of a DVD/VHS combo, and an Xbox 360. Mike Demfy and Grant Nicholson sat on the couch playing each other in Call of Duty 4. Besides the couch was Bar's reclining chair, which he made clear that if anyone sat in it they would be shot, a few old bar stools that sat around a ragged bar stocked with cheap whiskey, and an old wood door propped up with cinderblocks as a table. However in the corner in the room sat a large, 24-gun safe. It contained the team's arsenal. Of course the apartment wasn't the only home Bar owned. He had a house outside the city where he spent most of his time. This was used more as a staging area and a safe house.

"Ok turn that shit off," Bar said as he sat in his chair, unfolding a map and laying it on the table.

Nicholson cursed as he died again but ignored Nick, hell-bent on revenge. Ramney got up off a stool and turned off the game console and received a nod as thanks from Nick.

"Alright we are a go for tomorrow," Bar began. "I've talked to our contact in the Lost MC. They said they would help us out again, as long as they get paid. They'll start the diversionary fires 3 blocks from our target. This will distract any cops in the area.

"We will move in two teams. Team 1, consisting of Nate, Mike and myself will surround the armored car just as they prepare to leave the bank. Team 2, Grant, Austin and Scott will provide over watch from rooftop positions and the backup vehicle. We blow the doors, incapacitate the guards, and grab what we can within 2 minutes. Then we blow the rest and move back to our car and leave. This is supposed to be a big load. Five hundred thousand dollars plus change. Any questions?"

"What if the police respond sooner?" Scott asked

"What do you think all the guns and ammo are for? Show?" Bar replied.

"You're gonna shoot it out with the police?"

"If it can be avoided, no. I want this done clean, no one dies."

Scott stayed quiet and didn't reply.

"Ok then everyone get going and get a good night sleep," Bar said and watched as everyone filed out of the room and left.

Nick refolded the map, he had forgotten to point out the safe house. Oh well, he'd do it in the morning.

* * *

Bar suddenly sat up, his pistol was in his hands before he knew what he was doing. As his vision cleared and he saw himself aiming at a shadow being casted by a streetlight.

Replacing the sidearm on top of the nightstand he tried to go back to sleep. It failed, he was now wide-awake. he also realized that he was hungry.

"There's that gas station up the street," he thought aloud. "Could get a pretzel or a hot dog or something."

He decided to go there and after throwing on a pair of jeans and a hooded sweatshirt left his apartment to find it was raining. He pulled his ball cap down lower and walked towards the gas station.

When he arrived, Nick was surprised to find several cars parked out front. He walked inside nodding to the cashier and went to the coffee machine in the back of the mini-mart. He had just filled his cup when he heard a commotion coming from up front.

Bar turned and saw a dark skinned man pointing a shotgun at the cashier. Another was trying to reach for the cash register. He ducked down behind a rack of chips and unholstered his sidearm, the same he was waving around his apartment a few minutes prior. It was a Springfield XDM, chambered for .45 caliber. With the XDM in both hands he silently moved up the aisle and stopped just short of where it ended. He was about to make his move when a lady walked in.

She instantly saw the two men and screaming, tried to run back outside. The man reaching for the cash register was faster and grabbed her before she got out the door.

"Hello beautiful," he said to her and kissed her neck.

The lady screamed again as the man threw her to the floor and climbed on top of her. He began to unbutton her shirt

Nick was now pissed. He hated modern criminals, feeling that they had no honor, no respect for anyone. They would steal anything, kill anyone for pure fun. And the one thing he hated the most was a rapist.

Standing up, Bar left the cover of the aisle and aimed at the man with the shotgun. The dark skinned robber saw movement and turned but was to slow. Nick fired three times and watched as the robber stumbled backwards; the .45 caliber slugs struck him in the chest, and fell against a magazine rack, knowing it over. He fired twice more before turning on the second man.

Nick hauled him off the woman and threw him against the counter. Bringing up his sidearm, he fired twice point blank. He was breathing heavily now, the adrenaline was pumping. Bar looked at the cashier, who was trying to get the attempted rapist's blood off his face and then down at the woman. She was curled up, crying. He knelt beside her and holstered his pistol.

"It's ok," he gently said and helped her to her feet.

She looked at him, whispered thanks and walked outside. Bar quickly looked around the room and thankfully saw no security cameras then went outside. He turned left and went down the alley. Just as he began down it he heard sirens approaching.

"Shit!" he mumbled and started to walk a little faster.

He stuck to the alley for the whole walk back to his apartment, dodging headlights all the way.


	3. Chapter 2 The Robbery

Chapter 2 "The Robbery"

Morning June 27th

Nick was making his own final preparations when everyone else showed up. Grant, Mike, and Nate came in first, followed shortly by Austin and Scott.

He already had the gun safe open so they just helped themselves to their weapons. Bar stayed at the kitchen table, gear sprawled out on top of it, and so everyone spread out across the apartment.

The gear on the table consisted first of a Rock River Arms M-4. The M-4 had no rail sight but instead had a red dot sight mount on it. A Heckler and Koch MP5K rested next to it with a rude sling attached to it. At the end of the table was a Mossberg 500 sawed off pump action shotgun with the stock removed. Nick was already wearing his XDM in a thigh holster. Besides the firearms there was also a Gerber LMF combat knife, police issue bulletproof vest and leg guards, tactical harness, and a small backpack.

"Nick did you hear about that shooting?" Nate asked coming into the kitchen.

"No, what happened?" Bar lied.

"Right up the street at that gas station. Two guys attempted to rob the place and rape some woman. Apparently a customer shot both and then fled the scene."

"I didn't hear anything," Nick replied. "I was out like a rock last night."

Shrugging Nate left to continue getting ready but turned and walked back in

"Oh I forget to mention, Grant got some surprise for us when we get there," Nate announced. "He said he'll keep them in his vehicle until they're needed."

Nick nodded, confused, but he figured he knew what Grant had gotten. He turned back and slipped into his vest and the strapped on the armor plates that would protect his thighs and the front of his shins as Nate left, which was then quickly followed by his harness. The harness fit over the vest and had two triple M4 magazine pouches, two triple SMG magazine pouches, and a shotgun shell pouch that held six shells. His knife hung down on the left side of the harness just aside of a small Motorola radio.

Nick strapped the shotgun to the side of his backpack, which contained another six magazines for his M4, another six SMG magazines, and two extra pistol mags. He put his arms through the straps and adjusted them so they fit comfortably. Bar then slipped through the sling of his MP5 and slid that around his back. He finally grabbed his M4 and slapped in the magazine lying next to it.

"You guys ready?" Bar asked walking into the living room.

He received a mix of replies and he watched everyone making last minute preparations. Each man carried a M4 that had been modified for automatic, except for Scott and Mike that had Ak-47s and both were automatic. Everyone also had a SMG, Mike and Austin also had MP5Ks. Grant, Nate and Scott had Mac 11s. Pistols were also standard but each one had something different. Austin and Scott carried different sniper rifles which they used to provide cover from rooftops, windows, or occasionally from a van or other large vehicle. Nate and Mike, like Nick had shotguns. Mike had the same kind as Bar, but Nate had a Remington 1170 autoloader that was sawed off with a folding stock.

After each man got ready they stood up and stepped to the side of the room. Each wore an assortment of clothing but mostly consisted of some form of camouflage pants and a dark colored coat. Nick was wearing Urban BDU pants, an oversized black hooded sweatshirt that fit over his vest and currently unzipped, as well as a tan baseball cap. He also sported a pair of black shooting glasses with tinted lenses.

When everybody was ready they filed out the back door to the waiting vehicles. Nate, Mike, and Nick rode together in a black Landstalker. Nate was the group's unofficial driver and spent most of his time behind the wheel. He'd be driving there and in the getaway. Grant, Austin, and Scott hopped in a blue Moonbeam. Grant would remain in the vehicle to provide fast extraction if it would be needed.

The two-vehicle convoy pulled out of the alley behind Nick's apartment and merged into traffic. It was 8 am so they were in the middle of rush hour. The apartment was in Bohan so they got on the Northern Expressway and drove towards the Northwood Heights Bridge.

"You guys nervous?" Nick asked.

"No," Nate replied but Nick could see that his knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel. Mike didn't reply.

Bar turned back to face the window, SMG lying in his lap. Both Nate and his M4's were standing muzzle up in a holder they installed between the front seats. The SMGs were easier to use in a vehicle and provided a high rate of fire, which helped compensate for the decreased accuracy of shooting from a moving vehicle. Mike's Ak-47 was resting in a gun rack mounted on the back of the front seats. He was currently sitting behind Nate so he could cover the driver side.

Once across the bridge they continued down Frankfurt Avenue, past Middle Park and Times Square after which they turned left on Feldspar Street and then took a right onto Bismarck. Grant's vehicle stopped just after the turn and pulled off to the side. Nate, Mike, and Bar continued down and turned into a parking lot. They backed into a corner space where they didn't have to watch their back. There were only two cars in the lot with them and both were empty.

"Gamma, you guys in position?" Nick asked. They used the military phonetic alphabet when they talked over the radios. Gamma was Grant, Sierra was Scott, etc.

"Ya we're good," was the reply. "Alpha and Sierra are running the luggage inside"

The luggage meant that Austin and Scott had carried their gear in duffel bags inside the apartment building they were parked outside of. They would be using their sniper rifles to provide cover.

Nick nodded and got comfortable in his seat, unlocking the M4 and resting it between his knees. Nate's remained in the holder.

* * *

Nate sat silently leaning back in the driver seat, listening to music on his Ipod and tapping the beat on his Mac 11's grip. After he graduated High School he went to a community college for mechanics. After a year he decided it wasn't for him and got into racing. He was on his way to driving in NASCAR but got into a fight after a race and severely beat another drive. Ramney had just barely gotten out of going to jail and got off on the charge that he was drunk and the other driver had swung first.

He and Mike were friends since the 6th grade. They both met Nick during their freshman year of High School. The last place he expected to end up was robbing armored vehicles.

* * *

Belner flipped up the lens covers and rested the rifle on the concrete ledge that spanned the perimeter of the rooftop. Austin sighed as he ball parked the range to the rear of the bank and made the adjustments to his Remington 700.

He had tried to become a teacher after he graduated but like Nate decided it wasn't for him. He had known Nick since 9th grade and took up his offer of joining him in Liberty City to do a job with him. It turned out that job was breaking into a high profile club and stealing the money from the safe inside. He had been with Bar ever since.

The armored truck turned off Emerald Street and began up Bismarck just as he was about to reach for some beef jerky in his pocket.

"This is Alpha," he quickly said into his radio. "The Alpha Victor is in sight heading north on Bismarck."

* * *

Nick sat up when Austin reported that he saw the vehicle. He was in the middle of questioning himself for doing this, as he did before every mission. He had been on the road to becoming a cop, getting a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and planning on going into the Police Academy. When his application to the academy was denied he was crushed. That was probably the main motivation for doing what he did. However because of that he forbid the intentional shooting of police officers unless it was absolutely necessary, threatening to shoot anyone who did so. His reasoning was that they were just doing their jobs and that could have been him if things had gone differently.

"This is Sierra," came through the radio. "I see the Victor as well. Entering your area now."

Just as he finished the Securicar entered the lot and pulled up to the back of the bank, backing up to the rear door. The driver climbed out and walked inside the bank. Between the front seats, two shotguns were clearly visible. The passenger didn't notice them as he filled out the paperwork for the pickup.

"Ok guys," Nick said as he barely opened his door. "Get ready."

Bar's left hand gripped the forearm of his M4, while his right was pressed against the door. His whole body was poised to jump out and charge towards the Securicar.

The driver exited the bank followed by two employees. They were each carrying two large metal cases. The driver must have said something because the passenger quickly hopped out and went to open the back doors.

Once they had loaded up the two bank workers went back inside and the two guards climbed back in their vehicle and began to finish the paperwork.

"Now!" Nick shouted both in the radio and to Nate and Mike. "Hit em."

Mike was out first, followed by Nick. In his hand Bar tightly gripped a large cylinder, it was a grenade!

As they approached the vehicle Mike brought up the single shot grenade launcher. The glass that protected the Securicar's operators and contents was bulletproof and had a special coating that prevented if from shattering. However the glass would not stop a solid 40mm slug.

Mike fired and the heavy 40mm round slammed through the windshield creating a whole the size of a small watermelon and slammed into the wall behind the two guards. Nick threw the grenade, having already pulled the pin, through the hole where two seconds later it began to spew white smoke. It was a gas grenade designed to knock out anyone who breathed it in for ten minutes. The good thing was that is dissipated quickly.

They two quickly swung around back where Mike fired another 40mm slug into the rear doors of the Securicar, shattering lock. Bar pulled the door open while Mike signaled for Nate to pull the car around.

* * *

Scott Quinn watched as Nate backed the car up to the back of the armored car. Mike and Nick quickly began to throw metal cases into the cargo area of the Landstalker. He turned his attention back to the street, so far nothing was happening. It seemed that no one had heard the shots over the sounds of the rush hour traffic.

He was the newest member of the team, having joined two years ago. Scott had known Austin since grade school but had lost contact when Scott moved. He ran into Austin at a bar one night and over a few beers Belner let what his new profession was slip out. Scott immediately asked how he signed up. Since he had grown up on a farm he knew how to shoot and was quite good which made him perfect for sniper cover.

"Everyone this is Bravo, we are almost done," Nick said over the radio.

* * *

Nick placed the case in his hand on top of the growing stack. There were already 6, 12" x 12" cases in the back of the Landstalker and there were still ten left. He had reached for another case when the back door to the bank opened and a woman stepped out, lighting a cigarette.

She stopped dead when she saw Nick and Mike, bristling with weapons and ammunition, standing by the Securicar. The cigarette fell out of her mouth as she screamed and ran back into the bank. Seconds later the bank's alarms went off.

"Shit!"

"We've been compromised," Nick announced over the radio.

He grabbed another case, as did Mike and hustled back to the Landstalker. Throwing the case in with the others he waited for Mike to do the same before he slammed the back door and ran for the passenger seat. Nate already had the SUV's engine running.


	4. Chapter 3 The Chase

Chapter 3 "The Chase"

Morning June 27th

The first police cruiser, siren blaring, rounded the corner of Emerald and Bismarck and sped towards the bank's rear parking lot. Austin cursed, he figured they would have had more time, the cruiser must have been right around the block.

He took aim at the engine block and fired. The heavy .308 caliber round penetrated the engine block but didn't stop the car. Belner cursed and fired again. He struck something vital because the car died and began to bellow black smoke. The two officers jumped out and took cover behind their doors, searching for the source of the shots.

Obeying Nick's orders he didn't shoot the officers but fired right next to the officer on the passenger side. The officer fled the patrol cruiser and took cover against the wall of Austin's building, out of his field of vision.

"Cover team, evac, and meet at the RV!"

Belner cursed again and quickly grabbed his sniper rifle and set it back in the duffel bag. He then sprinted down the steps taking them three at a time, almost tripping several times before finally jumping down the last eight steps to the main landing.

He met Scott in the lobby and they both sprinted out of the building. Somehow the police officer taking cover against the building didn't see them as they ran past, heading for Grant and the Moonbeam. However the officer's partner, still hiding behind the car did.

Two bullets impacted the wall aside them as they reached the van. Grant however was ready, firing his SMG at the cruiser. 9mm bullets shredded the light bar on top of the vehicle and sent the officer ducking for cover.

"Go, go, go!" Austin cried as he dove in the back, just after Scott and barely got the door closed when Grant gunned the accelerator and sped away.

* * *

Nate saw the Moonbeam fly past and was quick to follow. He fed coal to the engine as the engine strained to move the vehicle with the added weight. Speeding out of the lot he turned left and sped after Grant.

"What the hell happened," he yelled as he swerved to avoid a car that seemed to be sitting still.

"Some damn bank worker came out," Nick replied as he replaced his M4 in its holder and rolled down his window, ready to engage any threats.

"How much did you get?"

"Probably nine or ten cases."

Ramney still had his headphones on but couldn't hear the music as he was fully concentrating on driving. A police car came up fast in the left lane. He saw in the rearview that the cruised spun around and chased after them.

"Cop, 6 o'clock!" he announced.

Mike turned in his seat and aiming out the back window fired at the cop. His first burst was to the left but the next was right on target, striking the front left tire. The cruiser turned sharply as it slowed and collided with a parked car.

* * *

"Everyone switch to coded maps!" Grant heard over the radio.

"Belner!" he ordered. "Grab the map out of the glove box."

They had made a coded map for emergencies where if they announced they're actually position the cops would come racing. Since Algonquin was comprised mostly of streets that ran either vertically or horizontally they coded all vertical streets in military phonetic alphabet and all horizontal streets were numbered.

"Break up and regroup at Alpha 13!"

Grant didn't reply but suddenly slammed on the breaks and turned right. He saw in the rearview that the Landstalker continued straight.

"Shit!" he cursed as he ducked down an alley to avoid an oncoming police cruiser. He saw the cruiser followed and almost ran into the side of the building along the alley as it attempted to make the sharp turn. It was then he noticed no one was shooting.

"Hey I hate to break-up you're love fest back there but you wanna shoot?"

* * *

The officer lost control of the cruiser and ran through several orange cones before slamming into the concrete divider. Nick sat back in his seat and fumbled to reload his SMG.

"You know where we're going?" he asked Nate.

"Ya I got it."

Bar leaned back out the window as they entered a tunnel and fired at the other police car that was following them. He fired at the tires but missed, striking the hood of the vehicle and a few penetrated the windshield between the two officers. The driver turned left to avoid his fire struck a car in the opposite lane.

"We're clear, punch it!" he said as he came back in the vehicle.

"What do you've thing I've been?" Nate bitterly replied.

* * *

The Moonbeam pulled into the almost full parking lot outside the Burger Shot and Memory Lanes. Grant put the vehicle in park but left the engine running while they waited for the second vehicle.

"You think they're gonna make it?" Scott asked, he was shaking from the adrenaline.

"They'll be fine," Austin replied as he reloaded his empty magazine with rounds from an ammo can, he fumbled with the first few.

Grant could feel himself shaking as well but tightly gripped the steering wheel to steady himself.

"What happened?" he muttered more to himself then anyone in the vehicle.

"Not sure," Austin said having heard him. "The alarm just went off, I got off a few rounds, and then we were being told to get out."

* * *

Patrol Officer Peter Payne was sitting in his car, enjoying his morning coffee while parked outside the Burger Shot where he bought it. He was just about to call himself back in-service when a blue van pulled into the lot, more like sped into the lot. Payne thought about ticketing him but didn't feel like filling out the paperwork that would follow.

He had heard the reports of shots fired and officer need assistance and was going to respond but when he called himself in as responding his supervisor screamed at him to keep patrolling and that it was the 23rd District's job.

Peter finished his coffee and got out of his cruiser to throw it away. When he turned to head back towards his vehicle he saw the Moonbeam again, parked not that far from him. He could see three people inside of it. That was when he made the connection. There was a blue Moonbeam sighted fleeing the bank and the same vehicle was reported to be engaging police.

A knot formed in his stomach as he sprinted back to his cruiser and fumbled with the handset of his radio.

"Uh…this…this…is H-Henry twenty," he stammered. "I need assistance at the Burger Shot parking lot off Union Drive West! I repeat officer needs assistance!"

He dropped the handset to the seat and unlatched the shotgun from its rack. Payne ducked into the rows of parked cars and quickly snuck up behind the van. He approached unnoticed and then jumped at, aiming his shotgun at the driver through the driver side window.

"Police, hands on the wheel!" he commanded, moving his finger to the trigger when he saw the driver had a submachine gun on his lap. There was movement in the back so he swung the shotgun in that direction.

"I said freeze, hands up!"

The driver slowly raised his hands and gripped the steering wheel. The two in the back did likewise.

"That's smart, now keep them up," Payne said and holding the shotgun in his right hand grabbed his radio with his left, it was a little awkward, but he managed.

"This is H-Henry twenty," he said. "I've got three armed suspects in a blue Moonbeam. Possibly the same from that robbery and shooting. Backup requested."

He gripped the shotgun with two hands again.

"Ok, now you two in the back get out of the van and keep those hands up!"

* * *

"Nick look at that," Nate said as they entered the lot. He was pointing at an empty police cruiser parked outside of the Burger Shot. The driver door was open.

"Shit!" Mike cursed. "Look at the lot."

Bar saw the Moonbeam but there was a cop standing by the driver side, shotgun up and ready.

"Drive up slowly," he told Nate as he rested his Mp5 on the door.

* * *

Officer Payne saw movement out of the corner of his eye but shook it off figuring it was his backup. Ignoring it probably saved his life. A three round burst of 9mm rounds struck him in the back. The shotgun went off as he cried out and fell forward against the van, the buckshot went high just over the driver's head and shredded the roof.

The driver side door opened and forcefully threw him against the parked car next to it. Payne fell back against the car and slid to the ground, moaning in pain. The vest had stopped the three bullets but it felt like he had been hit three times in the back with a sledgehammer.

* * *

"You're clear," Nick said over the radio. "Let's get back to the apartment."

It was then that he heard sirens rapidly approaching and an instant later he was thrown into the dashboard and then back into his seat. A police officer in a desperate attempt to keep them from escaping crashed his cruiser into the rear of the SUV and pushed it into the parked car in front of them.


	5. Chapter 4 We've Gotta Move

Chapter 4 "We Gotta Move!"

Morning June 27th

"Nick! Nick get your ass out!"

There was a lot of firing. A few loud bangs from shotguns could be picked out. The dim wail of sirens could barely be heard over the thunder of automatic weapons.

Bar's vision was blurred, his head was throbbing. He felt himself being hauled out of the SUV and practically dropped onto the street. He was picked backed up and something hit him across the face.

"Snap out of it, we gotta run."

Nick's vision slowly began to focus. Nate was standing in front of him preventing him from falling.

"Nick, we gotta get out of here."

Shaking his head he forced Nate away and accepted his M4 from him.

"What's going on?" he asked as he crouched down.

"Some damn cop ran into us," Nate said as he fed a new magazine into his assault rifle. "You were knocked out. Now every cop in the city is bearing down on us."

Nick nodded and quickly scanned the parking lot. They had enough cover at the moment but he could see numerous police cruisers blocking the entrance. More were racing towards them. At least a dozen cops were firing on them with pistols and shotguns. Mike was crouched about ten feet away engaging the police.

"Ok, where Austin's team?" Nick asked Nate.

"They're by their van, waiting for us."

"How far?"

"Maybe fifteen yards."

"Then let's get to them."

Nick popped up from behind the Landstalker and sprinted towards the Moonbeam. A quick turn of the head revealed Nate and Mike following. Bullets whizzed past, shattering windows and peppering car bodies. He reached the Moonbeam and slid into cover.

"Glad you guys could make it," Austin said sarcastically.

"You guys good?"

He received a nod in reply. Everyone was too busy keeping the police at bay. Nick saw that Grant had gotten his surprises out and leaned them against the van. His "surprises" were three RPGs and about a dozen extra rockets for them.

"Nick and Nate take a tube and one set of spares," Grant called while reloading.

Picking up one of the loaded RPG tube he slung it around his back and draped the spares around his neck.

"Ok we're gonna move north along the river," Nick shouted to be heard above the firing. "Stay low but move fast. Keep up your fire. Grant you're on point."

The six man moved out. They quickly hustled through the parked cars, laying down a murderous wall of lead as they went. Now wasn't the time to try and avoid shooting police officers and they all knew it. Now it was shoot to kill or be killed.

* * *

Grant was spun around as he was hit in the chest. He pushed through the pain and kept running, his vest had stopped the round. Thankfully the cops were still shooting pistols and shotguns at them, the NOOSE (National Officer of Security Enforcement) Tactical Response Unit hadn't responded yet.

He emerged from the parking lot and found a straight street in front of them, about three hundred yards ahead was a parking garage.

Nicholson took off running as a police cruiser stopped just twenty feet from him. He brought up his M4 and unloaded into the windshield, sidestepping as he went. Blood splattered across the windshield as he hit the two officers riding in it.

The thought of reloading was pushed from his mind as several rounds struck the concrete sidewalk aside of him. Grant ignored them and kept moving.

* * *

No one was sure who had first seen the chopper but just before it flew over them Nate cried out, "Chopper!"

He slung his M4 over one shoulder and quickly brought around his RPG without even slowing. The police chopper went over the river and then swung around and flew over them again. A police officer could be seen hanging out of the left passenger bay door. Ramney was almost positive he could see a M4 with a scope in the officer's hands.

The chopper came in low and came to a near hover allowing the officer to get a shot. Nate stopped and aimed the RPG at the chopper. He wrapped his left hand around the front grip where the trigger was also located. Tightening his grip he squeezed the tripper.

Smoke billowed out from the back of the tube as the 40mm rocket whizzed towards the chopper. The pilot must have never expected someone to have an RPG for his reactions were incredibly slow. The grenade slammed into chopper just rear of the cockpit, almost entering the passenger bay and detonated. The chopper nearly disintegrated as the fuel tanks ignited. What remained of the police helicopter fell to the ground in a fireball.

* * *

Nick saw the chopper go down just before they entered the parking garage. They quickly sprinted up the ramp and disappeared inside. The police must have been disheartened because they decided that at the moment it was best not to follow them.

They continued up the ramp to the second floor and didn't stop till they reached the far wall. Everyone was out of breath and they took a second to rest. No one could be seen on their level so for a moment they were safe.

"There were a lot of cops," Mike gasped as he leaned against a parked car and took a long gulp from a water bottle.

Nick just nodded.

"Ok, Scott get to the side and watch for any cops coming up the ram," he commanded. "Use your sniper rifle to stop them if they are. Nate try and find a vehicle that can fit all of us."

Bar exchanged his half-empty magazine for a new one. He then refilled the empty magazine pouches on his vest with fresh mags from his pack.

"Guys I can see a NOOSE truck out there," Scott called out.

"Nate any luck on a vehicle?" Nick yelled. He didn't even bother looking for him.

"Ya I found a Minivan," came the reply. "It's unlocked but there's no keys. I'll try to hot-wire it.

Leaning back against a car Nick took a minute to rest. He pulled out a water bottle and drained half it. Just as he replaced the cap a loud shot rang out, echoing several times in the parking garage.

"NOOSE is coming!"

Nick replaced his water bottle and grabbed his M4 off the hood of a car.

"Grant, Mike get your ARs trained on the entrance. Austin use your sniper to pick them off as they come in."

There were two more rifle shots and then Bar saw Scott slumped forward onto the concrete ledge where he was shooting.

"Scott?" Nick called to him. "Scott!"

He left his position and sprinted to Scott. Nick knew he was dead when he saw that the back half of his skull had been blown out. He grabbed Scott by the jacket and pulled him off the ledge, his rifle remained propped up against the ledge by its bipod. A neat hole was drilled into his forehead, just above his right eye.

Nick felt a pang of regret as he stared at Scott's lifeless body and for a second seriously considered whether it was worth it to continue. Then he remembered that they had killed several cops, they weren't going to be taken alive. His thoughts were broken a second later when a bullet struck the concrete ledge, sending tiny pieces flying into his face, one of which ricocheted off his shooting glasses.

"Sniper," Bar shouted and ducked below the ledge. He grabbed Scott's body and placing his sniper rifle on his chest, slowly dragged it back to rear of the garage, as he neared Grant helped him.

"The police have a sniper out there," he told them. "Quickly grab his ammo and AK."

Grant had finished grabbing the ammo off Scott's body when Nate pulled up with the van. He loaded the extra Ak47 and Mac 11 onto the rear seat.

"Get that out of the way," Nick said to Nate. "NOOSE is on the way up. Be ready to get us out if needed."

Nate nodded and backed up to the far corner and sat with the engine running.

Austin was sitting cross-legged in the back on a pickup, Remington 700 resting on the tailgate. He was waiting for the police to enter their level and when they did he'd be ready.

To his right he saw Nick peer up over the ledge for a split second and look in the direction of the ramp.

"They're coming," he said. "About thirty seconds."

Belner didn't reply but flipped the safety off his rifle and tightened his grip. Sure enough thirty seconds later he saw a helmeted head quickly look around the corner of the right side of the entrance. It was too dark on this level so they didn't worry about being seen all the way in the back. The helmet moved quickly and two NOOSE officers ran across the opening to the opposite side.

"These guys will be heavily armored, they may even stop five fifty-six," Nick whispered. "Head shots are recommended."

The first officer entered the level and quickly sprinted to the nearest car. He was shortly joined by a second, both had their M4s up and ready. The third officer had a Mp5 and sprinted past the first two and ducked behind a nice looking Cavalcade. A fourth officer did the same. Next the two officers on the left side entered the garage and sprinted along the far left wall and ducked behind a parked car.

"Belner, you got a shot?" Nick whispered.

"Ya."

"Take it!"

Austin took in a breath and slowly exhaled. He squeezed the trigger. The closest officer, the one with the Mp5, disappeared as he dropped to the ground. The officer's helmet flew off his head and rolled out from behind the car. The second officer immediately ducked but the two behind him weren't quite sure what was happening. Belner quickly worked the bolt and got off his second round, four seconds after the first, striking the first officer to enter the first officer in the head.

Nick, Grant and Mike opened fire a second later. The one officer on the left was in the process of changing cover positions and was stitched across the chest with 5.56 rounds. The shots spun around the officer and he fell but managed to get back up. Mike concentrated fire on him unleashing a ten round burst. The 7.62 x 39mm bullets penetrated the armor and the officer dropped and didn't get back up.

Two police cruisers sped up the ramp and blocked off the entrance. Another two were coming up the ramp and another NOOSE team was coming up as well. Apparently they realized they couldn't take them out with a quick SWAT attack so now they would use brute force.

"Nate get the van over here," came through the radio.

Ramney immediately put the vehicle into drive and drove so that he was between the cops and his teammates. Mike was the first one in and hopped in the rear bench seat and slid so he was behind the driver. Grant crouched behind the front of the van and laid down covering fire and Belner and Bar hustled over to the van. Belner hopped on the bench seat as well while Bar got in the passenger seat but he immediately leaned out the window and covered Grant while he climbed in the cargo area.

Grant slung his M4 and quickly got out his Mac 11 so that he would be ready once they drove off. Just as he was about to climb in the open side sliding door a bullet passed through the driver side passenger window and struck him in the right arm.

"Dammit!" Nicholson groaned and fell back onto the concrete floor of the parking garage.

"Cover me!" Nick shouted and hopped out of the van.

He grabbed Grant under the armpits and lifted him up into the van. Austin grabbed him and pulled him in. Nicholson then forced himself into the cargo area, grimacing as he attempted to find something to use as a bandage.

Nick slid the door closed and then got back into his seat shouting "go" as he did so. The van's tires screeched as Nate slammed the accelerator to the floor and sped towards the police barricade. Everyone in the car, minus Grant and Nate, was shooting out the open windows, trying to keep the officers' heads down.

The Minivan slammed into the left police cruiser and pushed into the wall of the ramp. Nate threw the van into reverse and backed up a few feet then put it back into drive and sped down the exit ramp. In that time both Nick and Austin had gunned down the remaining two cops manning the barricade.

* * *

Mike fumbled with a fresh magazine for his Mp5k. After several attempts he finally managed to get it in. The fact that he was shaking severely from the adrenaline and Nate's erratic driving was helping either.

Out of everyone on the team he was the biggest mystery. Demfy had been on track to become a surgeon and leading a successful life earning a good amount of money. For some reason after one year in college he had dropped out. He discussed the possibility of joining the CIA but heard that the chances of him being recruited were next to none and applicants rarely got hired. Then he turned to a Private Military Corporation but they even refused to meet with him since he had no military or police experience. When he heard that Nick had formed a team to rob high profile targets and that Austin and Nate were already in he decided to follow in their footsteps and join them.

A police car pulled alongside the Minivan and Mike saw the passenger aim a shotgun at the front tire. Mike quickly brought up his Mp5 and fired a stream of bullets at the police officer. The cop flew back in his seat and fell against the driver who panicked and sharply turned off, slamming into the metal divider.

"Take the exit ramp and head across the bridge to Alderney," Bar said to Nate.

* * *

Grant was leaning back against the rear bench seat. He had cut a strip off his shirt and tied it around the wound on his arm. His military training was coming back to him.

After High School, Nicholson joined the Marine Corps. His goal was to make a career of the military and then retire after twenty years and live well off the government. However he washed out of boot camp for getting into a fight his company commander and punching him in the face. Grant spent about a year doing odd jobs trying to find something that he liked. The thought of joining a PMC crossed his mind but found out they didn't want someone who failed to complete boot camp.

He had heard from Nate one night that he was doing some jobs with Bar. After spending some time to consider it he joined up as well. The training he did receive from his time in boot was gladly welcomed and he helped teach the other first aid, hand to hand fighting, and combat tactics. The one place he never expected to end up was in the back of a speeding Minivan armed to the teeth and shot in the arm. Maybe the back of the Minivan and armed to the teeth, but definitely not shot.

Nicholson attempted to fire his Mac 11 but found it was extremely difficult to be accurate. He emptied the magazine at a police cruiser that was trying to keep out of range but was unsure if he did any damage. The police cruiser and joined by a second one and together they sped up closer to the van. The passengers from both vehicles leaned out the window of their cars and fired at the van. Bullets struck the back cargo door, but thankfully they were only 9mm so they didn't penetrate.

He was struggling to get a new magazine into his Mac 11 when one cruiser inched closer to the Minivan. Grant saw this and attempted to extract his Glock 20 from a hip holster. The police officer fired first. The first two rounds missed and struck the door. The third however passed through the open space where the rear window had once been and struck Grant in the left armpit. A fourth round grazed the side of Grant head, taking the top of his ear off.

Sliding to his right he lied down on the carpeted cargo bay. He attempted to call out but slowly lost consciousness.

* * *

No one at first noticed that Grant had been hit. It was Austin who finally noticed when he realized that there was no firing from behind him. Belner looked over the seat and saw Nicholson lying in a pool of blood.

"Shit, Grants hit!" he cried.

"How bad?" Nick asked looking back from the passenger seat.

"Bad!"

Nate suddenly turned right once they had crossed the bridge and then a quick left followed by another right. They found themselves on a quiet street with two story homes on both sides. It seemed that they had eluded the police for the moment.

"Pull up here," Nick told Nate.

"What?" Nate replied confused. "Here? Now!"

"Ya we can hold up in one of these houses," Bar explained. "Quickly before the police catch up!

Apparently, Nate figured they should make it look good for he slammed into a parked car. Bar hopped out and ran around to the back.

"Mike help me grab him," he commanded. "We'll head into the brick house across the street and two doors down!"

The two grabbed Grant from the back, using the carpet as a stretcher. With Nate and Austin covering they moved as fast as they could across and down the street. Sirens could be heard approaching in the distance.

When they reached the house they almost tripped as they ran up the front steps and onto the porch. Nate passed in front of them and knocked on the door. It took a few maddeningly long seconds before the door was opened. When it was Nate forced his way in, shotgun up and aimed at the person who opened the door, a middle aged woman, she had a towel in her hands and looked like she was sweating. Nick and Mike, still carrying Grant, and Austin quickly followed him inside.

"What…who…," the woman stammered, near hysteria. "What are you doing?"

They ignored her and went into the kitchen wear a man and two kids, a small boy and an even smaller girl were sitting around the table. It appeared they were in the middle of lunch. Austin forced them away from the table and swept the table clear with his arm. Nick and Mike quickly laid Grant on the table.

"Who the hell are you?" the man demanded.

"Relax, we're not going to hurt you," Nick calmly replied as he felt for a pulse of Grant, surprised that there was one.

"Get out of my house!" the man, said again.

"Nate take them out of here and keep them calm," Nick said.

Nate motioned for them to go into the living room with the barrel of his shotgun. When they didn't move he grabbed the man and pushed him in, the two small kids followed.

"Easy!" Nick called after him.


	6. Chapter 5 One Long Night

Chapter 5 "One Long Night"

Evening June 27th

Nick pressed a new towel into the bullet hole in Grant's armpit. Austin was with him, trying to keep Grant conscious. He had come to when Bar stuck his finger into the wound to see if he felt the bullet, which Nick did.

Mike and Nate were attempting to keep the suburban family calm in the living room by assuring them they wouldn't be hurt and allowing them to watch TV. However that backfired when every news station was reporting that the city had turned into a warzone and dozens of cops had been injured and many killed and the cause were several men heavily armed parading around in a Minivan.

"Get the Quik-Clot out of the FAK!" Nick told Belner.

Quickly digging into the first aid kit, Austin produced a packet of Quik-Clot. Quik-Clot was a granular homeostatic that was designed to absorb water from blood and speed up clotting. It was designed for the military and was now available for civilian use. Austin ripped open the package and poured the contents into the wound in Grant's chest. A bandage was placed over the wound and taped so it would stay.

"What are we gonna do about his arm and head?" Austin asked.

"The head looks good and isn't bleeding but the arm is worrying me."

* * *

Nate stood to the side of the couch where the family was huddled together. The husband was doing his best to keep his family calm. Mike was standing by the front window, pushing the drapes to the side just so he can see out.

Police officers were crawling all over the Minivan. They had sealed off the whole street. Several choppers were already hovering over the area. A TRU team was moving around in the alley by the van searching for them.

They were soon gonna be in trouble because several officers were knocking on doors, probably asking if anyone had see anything. Thankfully it was the middle of the day in a middle class neighborhood so hopefully no one would be home, besides the family they had stumbled upon.

"Look," Nate said to the family. "There is a cop that's gonna be knocking on your door pretty soon and he's gonna ask if you saw anything out there. Now I don't like doing this but if you even hint that we're here, we will kill your family, then you, and then cop. You've seen the news and saw what we are capable of. You cooperate and we won't hurt you. Understand?"

The man nodded.

"Remember any look of the eyes, nod of the head, hand gesture, anything and we kill them."

The man nodded again.

"I understand."

* * *

They couldn't stop the bleeding. Despite their best efforts Grant was slowly bleeding out and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

"Do you think we could try to clamp off the artery in his arm?" Austin asked. They had come to the conclusion that the bullet that had struck him in the arm had severed the main artery. Grant tied the bandage on his arm tight enough so that it slowed the blood to a weak trickle but when the removed the bandage is started to fountain out.

"We're not surgeons. We have no training for this sort of thing." Nick replied.

"Well we gotta try."

Nick sighed and dug into their first aid kit. He pulled out two small pairs of surgical clamps. Unscrewing the cap to a bottle of rubbing alcohol he poured a good deal of it onto the medical instruments. Just as Bar was about to start Mike popped his head into the kitchen.

"Cops are going door to door. We're next." He saw what they were doing and walked up to the table, which now had blood dripping off it. "How is he?"

"Not good," Austin replied.

Bar took a deep breath before he stuck his index and middle fingers into the wound.

* * *

Patrol Officer Peter Payne rang to doorbell to the two-story brick house. A second later the door opened and a man appeared, he was covered in sweat.

"Sir, I'm Officer Payne," Peter told him. "Have you seen or heard anything involving that Minivan up the street?"

"We heard a bang while we were eating lunch," the husband replied. "We just figured that it was a backfire."

"Uh-huh, well that van is connected to the shootings that have taken place in Algonquin and the shooting of multiple police officers."

"Yes I've seen the news reports."

"Ok well if you see or hear anything please call 911. There are an unknown number of heavily armed suspects on the loose around here."

"Not that loose," the man muttered under his breath.

* * *

Nate was standing behind the door with his Glock 23 out. The husband had opened the door but stood to the side of it, so only half his body was visible, mostly because Ramney had been holding him by the shirt.

"Not that loose," the man muttered. It was barely audible but Nate heard and apparently so did the cop. Nate forced his pistol deeper into the husband's side.

"Sir may I step inside for a moment and have a look around?" the cop asked, it was more of a statement then a question.

The man paused for a second, trying to find a way to keep him out.

"Well…uh…my wife…," he stammered searching for an excuse. "My wife, she just uh cleaned and uh…I see that your shoes are kinda muddy and I'd catch hell it you got mud on the carpets."

The cop stood there for a moment trying to decide if the man was telling the truth. He looked down at his shoes and saw that they were indeed muddy.

"Ok well if you can think of anything or see anything please call," the cop told the husband and walked off the porch and headed to the next house.

Nate breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door for the man.

"You're lucky!"

* * *

"Wipe, you need to wipe."

Nick had the artery, or at least what he thought was the artery in between his two fingers. Blood was gushing out making it impossible to see. The only relief was to soak it up with a towel, but that only helped for a few moments.

There was no way this would work and they both knew it. Nicholson had lost way too much blood. However they both felt they had to do something and couldn't sit and watch their friend die.

"Shit, I've lost his pulse," Austin announced. He had been holding Grant wrist monitoring their friend's pulse.

Bar quickly placed a bloody hand on Grant's neck and felt for a pulse, there wasn't one.

"Start CPR!"

Interlocking his fingers, Nick pressed both hands in the middle of Nicholson's chest, where the lower ribcage met the upper. He quickly began compressions counting out loud as he did so. When he reached thirty compressions he nodded to Belner who gave Grant two breaths, pinching his nose closed with a bloody hand. He felt for a pulse by placing his cheek over Nicholson's mouth and watching his chest. He looked up and shook his head. Nick started again.

Belner looked up at Nick after two more tries. He shook his head and leaned back in his chair.

"He's gone," Austin whispered, his voice barely a whisper.

Nodding Bar collapsed back into his chair and grabbed a clean towel and tried to wipe the blood from his hands. Suddenly Nick threw the now bloody towel at the wall and stormed out of the kitchen.

All eyes were upon him as he stepped into the living room. Nick looked at Nate and Mike who were both staring at him, not moving.

"He's gone."

* * *

They moved Grant's body out of the kitchen and placed him in the basement, covered with a beach towel. Austin had tried to clean the table as best as he could but it was stained by blood.

It had been a long day and as the hours ticked by they rarely talked. Most of the time was spent watching the news and covering the windows. As night fell it was decided that they would sleep in two man shifts and rotate around 1 am. Mike and Nick would take the 8pm to 1am shift.

The family had been forced into a fixed up portion of the basement where they would sleep. The room had no windows or doors so they couldn't escape and as a precaution they bolted the door shut. If they were caught trying to escape, Nick told them, they would be shot.

On that final note Mike and Nick let them go to sleep. Austin and Nate were in a guest bedroom on the first floor.

Nick sat down to watch some TV while he attempted to clean his M4 with some WD40 and some paper towels scrounged from the garage. Mike was out in the kitchen trying to fix himself a sandwich.

Every news station had images of police officers racing through the streets, a few had shots of Nick and his team firing at police from a security camera in the parking garage. The footage was interrupted for a press conference by the Police Commissioner.

"_At 8:15 this morning, there was an attempted armed robbery of a armored vehicle at the Bank of Liberty Algonquin Branch. A bank employee, who interrupted the robbers while they were taking money from the armored vehicle, foiled the robbery. Law Enforcement officers responded and were attacked by the robbers who were carrying fully automatic weapons and wearing military grade body armor. A vehicle pursuit occurred as the robbers fled the scene in two separate vehicles at high speeds and continued to engage police officers from their vehicles._

_The chase ended in a parking lot but a running gun battle ensued as the robbers attempted to evade police on foot by taking refuge in a parking garage. Officers from the National Officer of Security Enforcement arrived and engaged the robbers who proceeded to flee the garage in a stolen vehicle and escaped into Northern Alderney where they are believe to be hiding. _

_Searches have turned up nothing as of this moment and are still continuing. Northern Alderney has been sealed off and a curfew is being enforced, every car attempting to leave is being searched and officers are conducting foot patrols. One of the robbers has been killed and three more are believe to be wounded. Eight officers have been killed and twelve more are wounded, nine of which are in critical condition. I will now accept your questions."_

_Nick changed the channel to an old western but didn't watch it. He was to busy trying to figure a way they could escape. Demfy walked in and sat down across from his in a chair, he offered one of his sandwiches._

"What was that about?" he asked as Bar accepted the food.

"Press conference. They think three of us have been wounded."

"No shit," Mike said.

"They sealed off this area. I'm not sure how we're gonna get out."

"Sealed?"

"Ya," Nick said as he began to reassemble his M4. "They set up roadblock, every vehicle is being searched, foot patrols, etc."

"Think of anything yet?" Mike questioned.

"Maybe we can get to the river and find a boat," Nick answered, pretty much thinking it up as he went. "It's only a short trip across. I know there's an old biker club there where we could probably get a car. It's about the only thing I can think of."

"Well it's better than nothing," Mike replied. "Hell, if that doesn't work we can always grab a car and with guns blazing run the blockade."

* * *

Patrol Officer Payne was silently cursing everything he could think of as he slowly walked down the street. In his hands he was tightly gripping a M4. He was one of the many patrol officers assigned to foot patrol of Northern Alderney. They had cracked open the TRU armory and handed out every high caliber, automatic weapon they could find. Then they passed out TRU issue tactical vests with built in body armor. Once everyone was equipped they were dropped off in the district in pairs and basically not to do anything stupid.

It seemed to him that it was punishment for letting the suspects get away in the parking lot. Peter shook it off and continued his patrol. He noticed that the house where he talked to that suspicious acting man was just in front of him. There were a few lights on in the house, which was odd for this late at night. He glanced at his partner and decided to check it out.

"Hey I gotta take a piss," Payne said to his partner. "I'll catch up to you on the next street."

"Whatever," his fellow officer replied and kept walking.

Payne shook his head as he quickly moved to the house. It appeared to him that everyone blamed him for those officers dying since he let the suspects get away in the parking lot. As he slipped into the darkness between the houses a moment of worry passed through him as he thought about getting caught by his supervisor but then realized that it wouldn't matter much, he was already in deep.

Slowly he crept alongside the house and as quietly as possible stepped onto the back porch. The kitchen light was on but he couldn't see anyone. Peter noticed that a basement light was on. He moved towards it and quickly scanned the area before he knelt and peered in. He could clearly see four people huddled together in a corner of the room, a blanket was covering them.

"What the hell is going on?" he thought to himself and then the realization hit him. "Oh, shit!"

Payne quickly jumped up and sprinted behind a shed across the back yard.

"This is H-Henry Twenty, I have a possible location of the suspects!"

Within three minutes of the call going out, twenty-five patrol officers, twelve of who were members of the Tactical Response Unit, had the two story brick house surrounded. Slowly, like the noose being tightened, the police closed in. Six TRU members were stacking up on the front door, while the other six were doing the same at the back. A single command sent directly from the Police Commissioner himself sent the officers in.

Both doors were kicked in almost simultaneously and the officers poured into the house through the "vertical coffins". Everyone outside was silent, waiting for the gunshots. Thirty seconds later 4 people, two adults and two children, were rushed out of the house. One minute later the all clear was sounded. The robbers had been there, a dead body confirmed that, but they had gone.


	7. Chapter 6 On the Road Again

Chapter 5 "On the Road Again"

Early Morning June 28th

"Down, everybody down!"

Two police cruisers sped past, sirens wailing. Nick watched them from behind the dumpster.

"Clear, keep moving!"

Bar stepped out from behind the dumpster and followed Belner as they continued down the alley. They only had about another block to go before they reached the river. When they reached the street Austin covered left and Nick covered right while Mike and Nate ran across. Once across they did the same.

The river could be heard in front of them. The four men quickly passed through a backyard and came to a cliff, below them was a small beach and then the river.

"Now how are we gonna get down," Mike asked more to himself then anything.

"Let's head down river, I think there is a road that goes down to the beach," Nick replied.

They moved out and proceeded quickly, following the edge of the cliff for about quarter a mile before they hit a small path that led down to the beach. When they finally stepped into the sand and moved towards the water line they scanned the shore looking for anything that they could use to cross the river. The water was too cold for them to swim across and with all their weapons and ammo it would be near impossible. Finally that found a small inflatable raft tied to rock.

"Oh, you got to be kidding me!" Nate exclaimed when he saw it.

" It's the best we're gonna find," Nick replied and climbed in.

It took a few moments but they managed to squeeze the four of them in the small raft. There wasn't much room but they fit. Using their rifle stocks they pushed themselves off the beach and into the water. Thankfully the current wasn't to strong or it would have taken them several miles downriver before they managed to get across.

"This was a bad idea," Nate said as they were about halfway across. They were sitting so low in the water that if they even shifted water would get into the raft.

"To late to turn back now," Nick pointed out. "Shut up and row."

After several minutes of bitching and paddling they got across and docked at a worn wooden dock. Austin was the first out and helped everyone out of the raft and onto the dock without falling in. They climbed a set of stairs that led up from the dock and found themselves in a parking lot underneath the bridge off ramp.

"There's a car," Austin announced and pointed to the other side of the lot.

The four moved to the car and covered Nate as he smashed the window and attempted to hot wire the car. They were sitting for a few moments when a pair of headlights illuminated into the parking lot.

"Everybody down," Nick ordered and crouched down behind a pair a trash cans that desperately needed to be emptied.

A police car entered the small parking lot. The spotlight from the cruiser shown across the lot, it passed over the car they were attempting to steal but quickly came back to it. The cruiser stopped. They saw the open door.

Nick tightly gripped his M4 as the officer stepped out of the car, pistol drawn and at the ready. He slowly came towards the car, passing right by Nick. Another few feet and the cop would be on top of the others. Quickly jumping up Bar jammed his M4 into the back of the police officer's head.

"Drop the gun," he demanded.

The cop froze but still held onto the gun. Nate, Mike and Austin rose from behind the car, weapons trained on the cop. Slowly the officer let his pistol fall to the pavement and raised his hands.

Nick grabbed the radio from his belt and smashed it. He then led the officer back to his cruiser and forced him into the back seat then closed the door. The man was now locked in the backseat since the back doors of police cars can only be opened from the outside.

"Get that car moving," Bar said and then ripped the microphone from the cruisers main radio.

It took only a few more moments before Nate started the car. Just as Nick was about to climb in he noticed faint glow coming from the backseat of the police cruiser.

"Shit," he cried and ran to the cruiser and threw the door open.

The cop was on his cellphone. Nick angrily hauled the cop out of the car and grabbed the phone from him. A swift shot to the head via Nick's rifle stock put the cop out of their misery.

"We gotta move now!" Nick shouted as he ran back to the car.

Tires screeched as Nate hurried out of the lot. As they turned out onto the main street a second police cruiser was just about to make the turn into the lot. He instantly turned on his lights and sirens and gave chase.

"Where am I going?" Nate asked.

"Get us to Bohan," Bar replied as he sprayed 9mm rounds from his Mp5k at the cop.

They turned left onto the main road connecting Algonquin and Alderney. Two more cop cars joined the pursuit. They made another left onto a double road that would take them across the bridge to Bohan. A police cruiser pulled out in front of them. Nate swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid a collision.

The dark shape of a helicopter passed overhead. Nick looked up to see a NOOSE Black Hawk hovering overhead. The gunner in the doorway was quite obvious. Bullets struck all around them, a few striking the hood.

"Go, go, go!" Mike shouted. "NOOSE van behind us!"

Rounds shattered the back window, everyone ducked and Nate got as low as he could. The seats were shredded as more bullets passed through the car. They made it onto the bridge. There were now five cruisers, two NOOSE vans, and a helicopter chasing them. A police car appeared in front of them and stayed there despite their best attempts to go around it.

"Keep going on this road," Nick said as they crossed the bridge.

The car sped up as it climbed a hill, getting some air as they crossed the flat intersections. The road entered some sort of a tunnel with two story high walls on each side. They were about twenty feet in when the police cruiser in front of them, slammed on its brakes. There was no time to maneuver.

They slammed into the back of the cruiser. At the speed they were going the back end lifted up and they rolled onto their side. Another cruiser struck them. Suddenly the car was on its roof. They slid for about another twenty feet and then smashed into the concrete wall.


End file.
